BEAVER PREVOST CONVERSION

[Coloradobus]

We have identified a total of 10 Beaver XL conversions, so far. The total number of coaches is still a mystery.
Does anyone have Jack and Thelma Jones current email. The one I have isn't going thru, the AOL one.

[Coloradobus]

OH BOY OH boy!! , We got our answer on how many Beaver Conversions were made, today.
The answer is, 34. So, our bus is the last one numberically. In the final weeks of production, 34 was push ahead of Coach 33 and delivered to Texas which we knew. So, Number 33 was the last coach completed.
Now, we need to find and identify them all. We have located Number One, and we have Number 34. In between, we know of # 10, 12, 18, 24,25,26,27. And we know who used to own 15, three years ago.

[Coloradobus]

Here is the latest update on how many Prevost XL 40 Beaver coaches we have located and talked with.
Beaver Bus#, are
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9,, 10, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, and our #34
Now Beaver Bus 1 was sold thru Brandon at Legacy Coach and went to Michigan after the Butlers sold it. Lost track of this one.
Bus 21 now that POG members have sold it and Mel Teafatiller at Eldorado RV and Marind was seilling it , we have lost track of it.
Bus 26 was sold a couple of years ago out of Missouri, and have lost track of this one too.
Bus 28 in Albuquergue was for sale several years ago, but don't know if the grandson of the original owner still has it.
We don't belong to the Prevost Prouds, so don't know if any Beaver XL owners are there, and we quit the Beaver Ambassador Club since their constitution thru a member vote was changed to allow non Beaver motorhomes into the club. If anyone has a friend with a Beaver Prevost XL 40 and wants to be listed on a spreadsheet we created and sent out to ONLY Beaver Bus owners so we know who we all are and where, let us know.

[garyde]

quite a family tree. were they all 40 footers? What years were they produced and where. I understand Beaver was purchased by Monaco years ago, are Beavers still being made. I know no Prevosts are being converted . The last I heard they were being made in Bend , Oregon.

[Coloradobus]

No your right Gary. Beaver Prevosts were a small,limited of run of 33 Prevost 40ft XL's from late 1989 to 1992. At the time of Beaver Prevosts, Beaver Coach was a stand alone company in Bend Oregon. Monaco bought up Beaver in 2001 and we all know what has become of Monaco Corp now-Navistar bought portions of Monaco and recently off loaded it to ASV who owns Fleetwood. Bill Jensen enabled me to acquire all Beaver Prevost vin numbers. With the help of GMC Buffalo (Beaver #25 and Christ Hicks, Beaver #12(POGGERS) and the membership chair from the Beaver Club and Prevost's Bill Jensen

[Gary Carmichael]

Great work JIm, It would be interesting to see a sheet like that on all Prevost convertors like how many Liberty conversion have been made and the dates of mfg, Millennium, Featherlite etc! Gary

[Coloradobus]

Thanks Gary C
yes, it would interesting to know how the converters pan out. I know some of the special or unusual Country Coaches and Marathons but not to the Extent of the Beavers. Did you catch that we have Bus 34, yet there were 33 Beaver XLs?? I had 33 VIN number and the puzzle began. Most shells on the VIN list were converted in order numerically as delivered to Beaver as listed with several exception. Beaver #3 which the Gardners of Hawaii own here on the continent has 2 house generators built into bay 2 was the fourth coach off the line. They are fourth owner. I have spoken to second owner and he told the story why the bus has 2 gensets. Bus 6 was originally owned by AJ MacDonnell of aircraft fame and Bus 10 was first owned by the Borgnines. On the bus list towards the end of the run there are 4 busses but 5 VIN numbers. Bus 30 is in Texas, Bus 33 is in Pennsylvania and Bus 34 is ours. That leaves 2 VINs and only one bus, either Bus 31or 32. I haven't found the missing coach, so I don't know which coach belongs to it. I have however know why there is a gap. A shell was redirected to Country Coach after the order was made and canceled and Beaver didn't change their sequential numbering. I have been in the past four years able to talked with our two previous owners, one who has since passed. And I have talked with other past owners, as well. Out of the busses I have identified one is still with its first owner, Jim O'Dell with Bus 19 of Florida. It's been fun. Wish I had more identified. We have done car faxes on the unknown ones so I know where they were registered just don't know owners directly,

[JIM KELLER]

I have seen the O'Dell Bus in front of his business with a for sale sign in the front window. Many years ago. He has a trailer manufacturing business on Ulmerton Road. Don't know if he ever sold it or if it is in storage in one of his buildings on the property.

[gmcbuffalo]

Jim
you speak of carfax so do you know if all the bus are still registered for the road? I was thinking with some of the early drivers of these bus some could be in the bone yard, where ever that is.
Greg

[Coloradobus]

Greg. One hasn't been registered since 1997. This could possibly be Bus 7. Don't know for certain. I will have to find the carfax and what else has a tardy registration

[Coloradobus]

Jim Keller,
The last I spoke to Mr Odell, he had had Bus 19 recleared, and didn't mention selling it

[JIM KELLER]

Then that would be a nice Bus for someone.

[Gil_J]

I once formed a group for a limited production boat. There were only 24 Nordhavn 35s ever built. A great boat with an outstanding layout. Probably the most seaworthy 35 ever made. I'm pretty sure they destroyed the molds to save on paying taxes. Too bad it didn't come with a 150HP John Deere instead of a 370HP Yanmar. If it did they would have sold many more. Here's what mine looked like.
11322

[Gary Carmichael]

That,s a good looking trawler, what was it's cruising speed? Did you use it on inland waters and the intercoastal? and what was your cruising range? gary

[Gil_J]

Gary,

I just added you to he N35 group. You should have received an email invitation. There is some good descriptive files there.

This was Nordhavn's attempt to enter the fast trawler market. A market they should have stayed away from given thier success as an open ocean boat builder. They built this like it all other trawler yachts they built. Very high quality and high end everthing. So, the boat was heavy and expensive, but a great boat.

I cruised at 7-8 kts and at that speed my range was well over 1,000 nm! It would do about 12 kts, as I recall. I never ran that speed as it would just burn fuel. Our first cruise was from TX to VA. From east of New Orleans to Mami we pretty much stayed on the outside. Too many bridges to wait for.

I thought we needed a bigger boat. We bought the first Ocean Alexander 50 trawler shipped to the east coast, hull number 3...big mistake.

The current owner is moving from Wiliamsburg to FL and doesn't want to take the boat with him, if you're interested.

Jim and Chris, sorry about hijacking your thread.

[Coloradobus]

That's ok. I found a BeaverPrevost on Portland Oregons Craigslist. It's advertised as having been owned by Ernie Borgnine. Now I know Bus 10 was his but I have never seen it. I'm calling the Stadings in Washington state this morning to ask if they sold. This ad allso states Beaver built 25 Prevost. This is incorrect. It was 33

[Gary Carmichael]

Gil, I lived in Southport N.C for many years before moving to V.A.My wife and I fished a lot mostly offshore, the stream was about 70miles off from the sea bouy and of course meandered in and out a little, the predominate wind here was SW, which if blowing meant a hard ride to the 100 fathom curve, My first boat a 32 Topaz, tough as nails but a wet ride, Finally ended up with a 36 Rampage a lighter boat but would cruise sea permitting at 24 knots, I am out of the boat business for good, We burned out when we fished 4 tournaments back to back, Bald Head Island, Cape Fear, Big Rock, and Fannies all marlin tournaments after one month in the ocean working hard we decided a coach would be better. Sorry if I am out of step in posting on this thread, Gary